Picture Toronto

Don Valley Brick Works

2006-06-09T07:53:00.000-07:00

While it is located just steps from the Don Valley Parkway, Bayview Ave, and Danforth Ave/Bloor St. E, the Don Valley Brick Works isn't very well known. A heritage site for its industrial history, it was once the site of one of the world’s most prolific brick-producing plants. The Brick Works is now open to the public and is in the process of being weaned back to its natural environment.

In operation for over a century, the factories at the Brick Works produced bricks for places such as Casa Loma, the University of Toronto’s Hart House, and Toronto General Hospital. Of the four original kiln chimneys that used to each bear one word of ‘Don Valley Brick Works’ in white bricks, only the chimney displaying ‘Valley’ remains.

Walking from the parking lot, off Bayview, you will come across Mud Creek, which flows between buildings through the middle of the industrial area. If you follow it upstream, you will find a vast expanse of nature, where quarries and pits have been transformed into ponds and marshes. You can walk along a wooden walkway, which winds its way across the wetlands, or you can follow footpaths around the area, including one which leads up to Donor’s Lookout, where you can survey the surrounding landscape.

While great for a leisurely nature walk in the middle of the city, don’t expect a host of amenities at the Brick Works. While there are public washrooms, remember to bring your own refreshments, as it can get very hot in the meadows, and there isn’t much shade.

For the geologically-inclined, exposed shale from which bricks were once made can be seen along some of the western slopes. Along the North Slope, many layers of rock have been exposed, and hundreds of thousands of years can be traced. Check here for more info.

Next to the parking lot is a ‘Dog Patch’, a free, fenced-off area for dogs, dubbed ‘Nature’s Canine Playground’. For more information, check here. The path system around the wetlands is also a great place for dog walking.

Evergreen, a Toronto-based charity, is currently redeveloping the Brick Works area, to be called ‘Evergreen Commons’, and is described as being ‘built on the foundations of nature, culture, and community.’

Type	Outdoors
Location	Bayview Ave. by Don Valley Parkway interchange (see map)
Hours	No restrictions
TTC	Not very accessible; 82 from Sherbourne, get off at Chorley Park, walk southeast
Parking	Large lot off Bayview

Click and drag to move around, use the '+' and '-' buttons to zoom.

For more pictures of the Don Valley Brick Works, check out our Flickr gallery.

Kew Gardens

2006-05-31T08:50:00.000-07:00

Situated between the Boardwalk and Queen St. East, Kew Gardens is best known for hosting the Beaches International Jazz Festival each summer, as well as other festivals and events throughout the year. However, go there when there isn’t an event on, and you won’t be disappointed in the slightest.

Whether you’re coming in off the Boardwalk looking for a nice, shady break from the hot lakefront, or coming from an afternoon of shopping on Queen St, Kew Gardens provides an ideal place for a rest, with scenic gardens, a ‘forest walk’ with wildlife aplenty, and has lots of benches and drinking fountains for the tired and thirsty traveller.

If you’re looking to relax for a while with a good book, the Beaches branch of the Toronto Public Library is located on the northeast corner of the grounds. The park is also home to the Kew Beach War Memorial; an intricately sculpted four-sided water fountain; and highly-detailed carvings of the ‘Three Fates’ in the trunk of a fallen oak tree (see photo at left).

For the kids, there’s an extensive fenced-off jungle gym area, next to a large wading pool. For sports groups, there are facilities for baseball, tennis, hockey, and lawn bowling, with a large picnic area for the after-game meal. For dog owners, there’s a nearby off-leash area.

Type	Outdoors
Location	Between Queen St. East and Lake Ontario, east of Woodbine (see map)
Hours	No restrictions
TTC	501/143 from Queen, or 64 from Main goes to Hambly & Queen, just east of Kew
Parking	Large lot off Lakeshore Blvd. East, east of Coxwell; along Queen St, Lee Ave, or Alfresco Lawn

Click and drag to move around, use the '+' and '-' buttons to zoom.

For more pictures of Kew Gardens, check out our Flickr gallery.

Edwards Gardens

2006-05-25T11:15:00.000-07:00

Located in the heart of Toronto, Edwards Gardens is a quiet, picturesque, sprawling break from the busyness of city life. From its rock gardens and greenhouses, to its secluded paths and Wilket Creek, there are plenty of things to see for avid gardeners and nature lovers alike.

Edwards Gardens is named for businessman Rupert Edwards, who in 1944 purchased the land with the intent of improving its looks. 11 years later he sold in to the city, which then named it in his honour.

Noted for its spring-blooming rhododendrons, its has a variety of colourful flowers blooming year-round. Pansies, magnolias, a variety of tulips; there's always something new coming up.

With a snack bar, washrooms, plenty of benches and drinking fountains, Edwards Gardens is a fully-qualified destination for an morning stroll, a day trip, or an afternoon outing.

On the same grounds is the home of Toronto Botanical Garden, which hosts an extensive horticultural library, a multitude of gardening classes and courses, and a nice gift shop.

The TBG runs tours of Edwards Gardens in July and August, every Tuesday and Thursday at 10AM. The tours meet at the flowerbed entrance to the Gardens, are free to attend, and do not require a reservation. Large group tours are also available, call 416-397-1366 for more information.

Type	Outdoors
Location	Leslie & Lawrence (see map)
Hours	Dawn to dusk daily (TBG Mon-Fri 9-5)
Phone	416-397-8186 (TBG 416-397-1340)
TTC	162 from Lawrence, 51/54/54A from Eglinton, or 51 from Leslie
Parking	Large lot, west off Leslie, south of Lawrence

Click and drag to move around, use the '+' and '-' buttons to zoom.

For more pictures of Edwards Gardens, check out our Flickr gallery.